Dust from traffic on dirt roads and from the handling of bulk products with attendant particulate materials can create significant health, environmental and safety problems. In mining facilities, industrial sites and construction sites, the operations may be significantly restricted by dust cloud formation. Also, health, environmental and safety problems may arise when any kind of dust is inhaled.
Known dust controlling agents include oils, paper making byproducts such as lignosulfonate dispersions, and water, optionally containing various salts such as magnesium and calcium chloride, or sodium chloride. Also, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,442, a partially saponified mixture of crude tall oil and vegetable oil, emulsified in water, may be used as a dust control agent.
However, further problems arise in dust control when the temperature drops well below freezing. During cold winters, the dust problems can persist even in subfreezing temperatures, particularly in operations such as coal mining. Also, even without dust problems, freshly mined coal may carry a significant amount of moisture, which can freeze. The freezing of the moisture on the surface of the coal and in the coal causes the chunks of coal to agglomerate into large, unwieldy lumps. Also, in cold weather, this moisture may cause lumps of coal to freeze to the metal walls of hopper cars and railroad cars that are used to transport the coal, which causes problems of materials handling. The same can apply to other divided materials, and, dust can be generated from the handling of such coal, as well as from the handling of other particulate products such as sand, at any temperature.
It would be desirable to identify an economical and highly-effective agent that provides freeze control to prevent agglomeration and bonding of moist, particulate materials even at very low temperatures on the order of about −20° C. and below, while also providing dust control at any temperature.